The Last of the Real White Americans

The first stop I made in Tennessee I saw more muddy Fords and Chevy trucks, giant belt buckles and heard more "Boy, you'd better git" than I have heard this whole trip combined. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Even so, it's pretty impressive to experience intense culture shock at a gas station off I-40 even though I have already been in the South for three weeks now. Woodbury, TN, about an hour southeast of Nashville, was just the same. I parked at a gas station to attempt to interview customers. The old Ford F150 parked next to me had the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition. It turned out, that was one of the employees cars: he wasn't just going in and out. How incredible would it to live in a place where you can do that without worry!
Getting people to fill out my survey in a town that doesn't really care too much about tourists or research was a little difficult but I kept at it and finally got the surveys I needed. The last store open at 8 PM was McDonald's so I ended my day there. As Friday night got later, more and more couples shuffled in wearing pajamas. In fact, I think you were the minority of you wore jeans. I tried not to judge and all I'll say is I made a valiant effort. One of the minorities dressed nicely helped me out by filling out surveys. They struck up a conversation and we had a nice chat until, on their way out, they said "Oh no, I forgot to put my level of happiness!"
"That's ok, don't worry about it."
"Well, my happiness is a 10. I'm the one who put real American on the race!" They waved goodbye and I tried to gather my thoughts because it came so out of nowhere. Good thing though because if I hadn't been taken so far aback, I probably would have jumped them. Sure enough, on the demographics section where you *circle* a race in a list of options, in clear print, he had written,

"White--the last of the REAL Americans"

Well, lucky me. If I got nothing else from this trip, at least I got to interview the LAST OF THE REAL AMERICANS. Good grief.

A night out in Nashville was in store after a long day of work and I hit the bars to listen to some good American music. There were a lot of frat boys in Walmart cowboy hats but also many genuine country folk. I walked from bar to bar listening to anything from country covers, to fiddle and banjo, to even an amazing performance of yodeling. Especially the band that had the yodeler was just incredible.

After Nashville, I spent the weekend with a friend I had met studying in Japan 5 years ago. He treated me out to a fun weekend and a MUCH needed break. We even got to see a great firework show. Now, I'm on my way back to Tennessee to spend time in Appalachian culture. I'm a pretty nervous, which is normal, but hopefully I'll be able to understand more people and broaden my world view.